Description
Grandma’s no-fail pie crust comes straight from a treasured family recipe that makes baking delightfully simple. Flaky, buttery pastry practically guarantees your dessert will be the star of any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter
Binding Ingredients:
- ¼ cup ice water
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine 2 ½ cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp sugar in a spacious mixing bowl, ensuring dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Slice 1 cup cold unsalted butter into tiny ½-inch cubes for easier incorporation.
- Crush butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender or fingertips until the texture resembles rough breadcrumbs.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup ice water across the mixture, gently stirring with a fork until dough begins forming clusters.
- Gather dough with clean hands, pressing gently to create a compact ball without excessive handling.
- Separate dough into two equal portions, shaping each into a flat, round disc approximately 1-inch thick.
- Encase each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 60 minutes to stabilize butter consistency.
- Remove dough from refrigerator, letting it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
- Dust work surface generously with flour to prevent sticking.
- Roll first disc into a circular shape 12 inches wide and ⅛-inch thick, rotating frequently.
- Transfer rolled dough carefully into a 9-inch pie plate, allowing extra dough to drape over edges.
- Trim excess dough around rim, leaving a ½-inch overhang for decorative crimping.
- Repeat rolling process with second disc for top or bottom crust design.
- Create decorative edge by pinching and folding excess dough.
- Cut small venting slits if preparing a full top crust.
- Chill prepared pie crust for 15 minutes at 40°F before adding filling.
Notes
- Cold butter is the secret to a flaky, tender crust that melts in your mouth.
- Handle the dough gently and minimally to prevent tough, chewy pastry that no one enjoys.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent shrinking and maintains the buttery texture during baking.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend that contains xanthan gum.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Pies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg